Double-acting refrigerator door hinge with dual latch members

Claim 1

In an enclosure having a cabinet defining an access opening with a pair of hinge pins disposed on the cabinet at laterally opposite sides of the opening, and a closure door for selectively closing the opening, improved means for mounting the door to the opposite hinge pins for selective opening of the door from either side of the opening, said mounting means comprising: a pair of hub structures on the door removably associated one each with said hinge pings, each said hub structure comprising a first lever mounted for pivotal movement about a first pivot axis, a first hub portion on said first lever spaced from said first pivot axis, a second lever mounted for pivotal movement about a second pivot axis spaced from said first pivot axis, a second hub portion on said second lever spaced from said second pivot axis, said hub portions being configured complementarily to said hinge pins, a slot in one of said levers, a pin on the other of said levers movably received in said slot for causing concurrent movement of said levers, and means for biasing said levers concurrently to a closed position where said hub portions are juxtaposed to fit about and pivotally capture an associated hinge pin and to an open position wherein said hub portions are spaced apart to permit lateral withdrawal of the associated hinge pin; and a rod longitudinally movable between said hub structures and having ends selectively engaging one lever of each of the respective hub structures for positively locking either hub structure in the closed position when the other hub structure is in the open position, wherein said means for biasing the levers comprising spring-biased detent means engaging one of said levers and said one of said levers including first and second cam surfaces which cooperate with said detent means to provide overcenter movement of said one of said levers between said open and closed positions.